DAMINTZANA AND FUNNEL STRAINER

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A host of wide-bodied and narrow-necked glass vessels of variable types and sizes were known in Cyprus as damintzanes or lamintzanes (in Greek ntamintzanes from the Italian word damegiana). These vessels were in most cases encased by a basket-weaved mesh for the protection of their contents. Sometimes, the basketry material of the protective casing formed handles to facilitate the transport of these vessels and on occasion the basket-weaved mesh covered even the lid of the damintzana.

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Damintzanes were used for the storage of liquids that usually could not be stored in porous ceramic vessels, such as oil, wine, vinegar and zivania, the latter being a traditional Cypriot distillate, which is produced from marc and has a high alcohol volume. Often, rosewater was stored in damintzanes and for the preservation of its delicate essence the vessels were sealed with a cork and placed in the shady part of the house, the so-called ssospito (interior storage space).

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For the transfer of liquids into the damintzanes, as well as the transfusion to other narrow-necked vessels, people usually used funnel strainers, which were usually made of metal or appropriately cut and shaped pumpkin. An example of a metal funnel strainer is included in the collection of the Bee and Embroidery Museum. This artefact has a small handle at the upper part of the body and a thick straining mesh at the top of the cylindrical outflow tube, which is obviously used for the retention of any impurities contained in the transferred liquids.